Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory

A Neumann & Associates, LLC

August 5, 2021

Get More For Your Business

By Marc Gudowitz

Business

You have worked extremely hard for many years building your business into what it is now.  Through the ups and downs, you have managed to keep your business viable and successful.  It has been a good ride, but the time has come, and it is now time for your business to work for you – you are ready to sell your business.

How do you get the most out of what will probably be the most important transaction of your life?

You devise the right plan, lay the groundwork and drive the process. 

Following these three simple steps will allow you to get the most out of your business.  If you don’t, you can leave money on the table, drag out the process, and risk the ongoing operation of your business.

The Right Plan

The key to developing the right plan is to have the right people advising you.  As you grew your business, your close advisors were there to help you along the way.  Your lawyer, your accountant and your banker were all key parts of your team that helped guide your success.  When it comes to selling your business, you will want to add a professional M&A Advisory and Business Brokerage firm to your team to help you through this last stage.  You may be tempted to try it alone, but the truth is you don’t know what you don’t know and the last thing you want is to do proceed in a manner that will undermine the entire process.  For the same reasons that you have your accountant prepare your tax forms and you lawyer represent you in court, make sure you choose a qualified, experienced M&A firm to work with you to devise a plan that is right for your specific needs.  A professional M&A firm will sit down with you to learn about your business, listen to your goals and will work with you to review your options to come up with your best plan for achieving those goals.

The Groundwork

Any building will crumble without a solid foundation.  The same can be said for any M&A deal.  It is critical to establish a credible basis from which a deal can be built upon.   That foundation is a proper valuation from an independent, certified valuation company.  This valuation will give you and your M&A advisors the tools to orchestrate a successful deal on your behalf.  It will establish the correct benchmark of the true value of your company.  Not the value you think it should be, not the value that your brother thinks it should be and not even the value that your accountant suggests.  An independent proper valuation is a report that will be regarded as a respectable, unbiased assessment by potential buyers and SBA lenders alike.  It will also set your expectations at the proper level as you begin to develop your marketing plans so you can make informed decisions as you move through the selling process.

As difficult as it may be to hear, you are significantly better off knowing your company’s true worth at the beginning of the process even if it’s far less than what you originally thought.  Once you have this accurate Fair Market Value (FMV), there are actions that your M&A Advisors may be able to take to help you to increase the value of your company.  On the other hand, if your company is worth more than you expected, you would leave money on the table by setting an initial asking price that is too low.  Either way, obtaining a proper valuation sets the stage for a successful transaction which will maximize the return on the sale of your company.

Driving the Process

Now that you have successfully and accurately defined the worth of your company and developed a plan with your M&A advisor and business broker, it is time to go to market.  What is the proper way to “go to market” and how can you effectively market your company while maintaining confidentiality?

  • It would very negatively impact your business, if your customers, vendors, competitors and employees learned of your plans before you were ready to reveal the news to them. Confidentiality and professionalism are critical to the marketing process and your M&A Advisor will manage that balance for you.  They should be experienced in marketing your company in a broad enough way yet keep your identity anonymous, as well as being able to target all potentially interested parties.
  • Your M&A Advisors should also have access to a large network of potential buyers. The greater initial exposure to investors increases the opportunity for multiple interested parties.  This can lead to a possible bidding war maximizing your return, and at the very least, provide additional negotiation leverage to you.
  • Your M&A Advisors should thoroughly prequalify potential buyers to ensure financial and managerial prerequisites are met. The last thing you want is to spend months negotiating with a potential buyer who doesn’t have the financial wherewithal to fund the transaction or support the operation of the company thereafter.
  • Lastly, your advisor will be looking out for your best interests. Your M&A Advisor will have a fiduciary responsibility to you and will make sure all is being done to maximize your financial return.  This will not be the case if a (buy-side) broker approaches you for a buyer that they are representing.   That broker will be looking out for their client’s best interests, not yours.  You want you and your team driving the process, not the other way around.

These are just a few of the many topics to consider when looking to sell your business.  As every business is unique, every M&A deal is different, and having the proper guidance to lead you through the inevitable minefield that you will encounter during this process will make all of the difference and will allow you to get the most for your business.

About A Neumann & Associates, LLC

A Neumann & Associates, LLC is a professional mergers & acquisitions and business brokerage firm having assisted business owners and buyers in the business valuation and business transfer process through its affiliations for the past 30 years. With an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, the company has senior trusted professionals with a deep knowledge based in multiple field offices along the East Coast and has performed hundreds of business valuations in its history. The firm’s competitive transaction fees are based on successfully completing transactions. For more information, please contact A Neumann & Associates at 732-872-6777 or info@neumannassociates.com

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Client Testimonials

“ I appreciate your diligent approach to screening buyers and sellers as well as the high quality CIM that you produce.”

Andrey O, Investor

“Finally enjoying retirement after recently selling my business using the services of A Neumann & Associates. Joe Oddo provided the conduit to a successful transaction. Joe knew when to inject input and when to simply listen and allow the buyers to vent, step back and regroup. The outcome met our expectations and got us to the finish line, which included my staying with the company six months in order for the buyers to get their footing and keep our workforce in the loop. He helped at every step by providing his expert guidance & resources. Thank you!”

Emily Parker Myers, Co-Owner - Myers McRae

“I had been in touch with Karin and Gary from A Neumann & Associates regarding some opportunities and was looking forward to meeting with them. Hence, when they organized a seminar in Princeton, NJ, I was quick to sign up. The seminar was very informative as the team walked the attendees through various scenarios and referenced real life buying/selling situations they had been through. The sessions by Gary, Karin and Achim were crisp and focused and brought clarity to potential seller and buyers. I strongly recommend the team and look forward to continue working with them.”

Gaurav Tyagi

“Thank you for your Event on "How to value, Sell, and Buy A Business for Maximum Profit" and the insight into ANA’s approach on what is involved in the Business Exit for sellers. Garys Hervieiou's "Business Valuation", Achim's "Deal structure" presentation and Karin’s "Preparing the Package" are real street knowledge shared. They answered attendees questions which makes it more interesting for learning from others. Great for small businesses like us. The presentations were totally worth our time and travel for the event to Princeton, NJ from Rockville MD. Ravi Bhutani, President, CIPS”

Ravi Bhutani

“Gary, this is to thank you for an excellent job done in selling our business. We could never have done it without your professional expertise, dedication and time put in without reservation to make it happen. We will gladly and highly recommend you to anybody in our position.  It was a pleasure to work with you.”

Pat Iammatteo, Owner

“Your vetting is simply outstanding, among the best I've seen from a broker.”

Eric H., Investor

“I recently contacted A. Neumann and Associates about getting a valuation of my business done. I spoke with Marc, who explained the process in detail. After meeting with Marc in order to get a clear understanding of my business, and what I was hoping to accomplish. His patience in answering all my questions and his knowledge of the proper way to market my business gave me great confidence that this is the firm I will be using to sell my business for max value. Working with Marc at A Neumann & Associates was very easy and professional. I did not know all that was going to be involved in selling my business but they helped me through the process. What I thought was going to be a just another one of those pushy sales companies was just the opposite. Polite, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to talk to and deal with. I highly recommend this firm to anybody who wants to sell now or down the road. Marc not only knows his stuff, but actually is a real nice guy.”

Double Diamond

“Used A Neumann & Associates to sale my business. could not imagine having done it with out the patience and experience Gary provided. Thanks Gary,”

Dennis Frazier

“Working with Marc and his company was a pleasure. What I thought was going to be a just another one of those pushy sales companies was just the opposite. Polite, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to talk to and deal with. Marc handled most of the interaction and he has one of the greatest demeanors. Again, it was a pleasure working with him and his firm.”

Douglas DiCeglio

“I recently completed an acquisition using A Neumann & Associates. Tony Valentino was very helpful and accessible during the entire process. They do a thorough job vetting both parties and got us to the finish line.”

Srini Mudambi
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Contact A Neumann & Associates, LLC

If you are considering selling your business, please contact us to learn more about our comprehensive service spectrum. Our experienced professionals will answer all your questions about selling a privately held business in complete confidentiality. Please fill out our contact form, or call us at 732-872-6777. We will contact you directly and will never identify ourselves to your employees.

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